Civil Rights Meeting Place

Paschal's Restaurant

Paschal’s Restaurant was opened in 1959 by James and Robert Paschal and became a key gathering place for Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy and student activists from neighboring colleges in the 1960s. The Paschal brothers were active participants in the Civil Rights Movement and their restaurant became known as the “Black City Hall.” The International style motel was added in 1967.

In 2005, the Atlanta Preservation Center worked with the owner and with community leaders to prevent the demolition of this historic building and advocated for the preservation of Atlanta’s Civil Rights-related historic sites and the development of a Civil Rights trail.